Hong Kong lowers bird flu response level

Hong Kong health authorities have lowered the region's influenza response level from 'serious' to 'alert', 21 days after a case of human avian influenza was detected.

The response level was raised from alert to serious when a two-year-old boy was found to have influenza A (H5) on June 1. The Centre for Health Protection stepped up surveillance and began probing the source of the infection.

The boy's close contacts were traced and placed under quarantine. No further avian flu case was detected during the three weeks of strengthened surveillance and the case was classified as an imported sporadic infection. The boy is now in serious condition.

The alert response level was activated in view of the ongoing activities of HPAI among poultry outside Hong Kong.